U.S. pledges to increase its military aid to Israel

[Scurrilous]

Source: Haaretz

<snip>

"The U.S. is prepared to increase military aid to Israel in order to ease the defense establishment's concerns over a proposed American weapons sale to Saudi Arabia, diplomatic sources in Jerusalem told Haaretz over the weekend, thereby confirming reports in the U.S. media.

According to the New York Times and the Washington Post, the proposed package of advanced weaponry for Saudi Arabia is expected to eventually total $20 billion. It reportedly includes advanced satellite-guided bombs, upgrades to its fighter jets and new naval vessels. It has reportedly raised concerns in Israel and among its supporters in Congress.

Senior officials who described the package on Friday said they believed the administration had resolved those concerns, in part by promising Israel $30.4 billion in military aid over the next decade, a significant increase over what Israel has received in the past 10 years."

<snip>

"Security officials in Jerusalem called the increase in military aid "an unusual achievement." They added that the increase was the primary objective during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's most recent visit to the U.S. last month. "In Olmert's meeting with President Bush in Washington, the president agreed to increase military aid by 25 percent to $3 billion per annum for the next 10 years," one diplomatic source reported."




Read more: http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/887256.html

[Usrename]

1. Makes perfect sense.

:banghead:

[Robbien]

2. There is nothing good in this military budget

The Saudis come over and knock down buildings full of people in NY and we supply them with billions of dollars so that they are able to come and knock down more or our buildings . The Saudis have more money than God, and we are borrowing to give them more.

Then of course, Israel (another very rich nation) is also supplied with billions of borrowed cash so that they can drop tons of bombs on any Arab who looks at them funny.

What total nonsense.

[BrklynLiberal]

3. Could not agree more. This entire deal is merely a way to put more money into the pockets of the

Bush cronies who make money from war and terror...and that is all it is...except of course, the encouraging of even more violence and hate in the world. But then of course, these people would make even more money!!!!
This entire deal make me sick to my stomach!!! :mad: :puke:

[Robbien]

5. PBS had a show on about how UAE was using tons of money

to build Dubai and surrounding country into a huge modern area. So far 80% of worldwide banks have their headquarters in Dubai.

The show was about an Oslo architect bidding to draw plans for a huge convention center which while cover acres. This convention center will be in front of a huge city housing millions of people and loads of businesses. The Sheik planned to have the city and convention center rise from the sands and be completed in two or three years.

The point here is

While the US is busy spending all its time and money dropping bombs on any non-christian and/or non-white it can find, the rest of the nations in the ME are capturing the imagination and business of the rest of the world.

[BrklynLiberal]

43. Bush is making this country into a third world nation.....

It is truly sickening. He and his cronies are no better than any of the other small-minded dictators who pocket all the wealth of their country and leave it in a shambles behind them...
What is the saddest, is that so many of the victims are so happily going along with it.and they voted him all that power to allow him to screw them...

[mallard]

12. There's a difference between doing business ...

... and giving out free money.

You wrote:

"... we supply them with billions of dollars so that they are able to come and knock down more or our buildings."

First of all, you are pushing the official 9/11 account despite the raving lack of publically disclosed evidence, and despite the several still alive accused hijackers not getting any real notice.

Then, you're equating sales to a non-threatening country with gifts to another we seem somehow obligated to for still dubious and unknown reasons, as if appeasing them were a self-evident, legitimate factor in our national agenda. (Sorry if I've misinterpretted your meaning there.)

Saudi will not attack us with these weapons - nor was the Saudi government/military involved in 9/11! Will the ADDED gift to Israel yield any observable value in terms of a better regional profile?

[AntiFascist]

48. Check this out....

http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/070515/2007051502.html

Saudi - Iran ties to foil enemy plots: Rafsanjani
Saudi Arabia-Iran, Politics, 5/15/2007

Regular consultations between Iran and Saudi Arabia would prevent enemies of Islam from achieving their goals particularly on creating discord among Shiite and Sunni Muslims, Iran's Chairman of the Expediency Council Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani said yesterday.


Rafsanjani made the remark in a telephone conversation with Saudi King Abdullah. The two sides exchanged views on ongoing developments in the region particularly the latest situation in Iraq.

They discussed problems of the Islamic world and expressed hope that cooperation between Iran and Saudi Arabia would lead to settlement of such issues.

Rafsanjani said cooperation among officials of the Islamic world would resolve problems in Iraq, Lebanon and Palestine.

King Abdullah said Iran has established a consolidated bond among Islamic nations and governments through its wisdom and farsightedness.

Who are these "enemies of Islam"? The only thing that comes to mind is the Z word.

[entanglement]

71. Minor detail: The Saudis are buying arms, it is not a gift

n/t

[Socal31]

4. I would like to try respond to this maturely,.....

WTF???????????? WHY???????????

[Middle finga]

6. Why do the entire march in lock step on this type of non-sense

If Israel can't afford their military posture they should be forced to live within their means, like make peace with their neighbors and down size their nuclear arsenal. Then they wouldn't need our 'borrowed' billions every years.

[HuffleClaw]

7. bwahaahahhahaaaa

pretty blatant about it too aren't they?

[Corgigal]

8. Does the US even have 20 billion left?

When was the last time someone balanced the checkbook?

[Doctor_J]

20. We're already into my grandchildren's tax dollars

their kids' roads and clean water will be next

[harun]

68. We don't have any money it is all barrowed

[BrokenBeyondRepair]

9. terrorists

[Mojorabbit]

10. And then they have the audacity

to say we can't afford universal health care.

[IndianaGreen]

11. Israel is one appendage we can do without!

Our irrational support of Israel, without any conditions, has done a lot of harm to our country and has cost thousands of Americans' lives.

We should follow Jimmy Carter's advice on the Middle East, and not follow a Bush-Cheney Lite policy.

[tecelote]

13. War Forever!

Arm both sides. Think of the money we can make!

America is a corporation and we are not the stockholders.

[donkeyotay]

17. That's perfect

"America is a corporation and we are not the stockholders."

They used to call it the military-industrial complex, but I think it might be more acurate to call it the media-intelligence complex. Whichever complex, the wholesale pillaging of America got underway under the Reagan administration when any restraint on contractors' ability to rape the taxpayer was effectively removed.

"We" can no longer afford peace. "We" are a nation of war, a demockracy run by the war industries.

[Le Taz Hot]

21. THAT should be a bumper sticker.

Talk about bi-partisan!

"America is a corporation and we are not the stockholders."

Damn! I may need to steal that! :toast:

[rodeodance]

14. Israeli PM announces 30 billion dollar US defence aid

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070729/wl_mideast_afp/mideastisraelus_070729102739
Israeli PM announces 30 billion dollar US defence aid

by Ron Bousso 31 minutes ago

JERUSALEM (AFP) - Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a new 30 billion dollar US defence package on Sunday to preserve Israel's regional military superiority, as Washington readied an Arab arms deal to counter Iran.
ADVERTISEMENT

The sizeable hike to annual US defence and military aid to its closest Middle East ally was unveiled by the beleaguered Olmert amid reports of a hefty US arms deal with Saudi Arabia, although Israeli politicians dismissed concerns of a new regional arms race.

"In my last meeting with the president of the United States, we agreed that the aid would stand at 30 billion dollars over the next 10 years, meaning over three billion dollars a year, starting next year," Olmert said.

"This is an increase of over 25 percent in the military and defence aid of the United States to Israel," he said, describing the package as a considerable improvement and very important element for national security.

[Massachusetts]

15. Lieberfraud has a big smile on his face.

Thats one debt repaid.

[dansolo]

16. I've got a better idea

How about we stop giving weapons to the Saudis?

[donkeyotay]

18. None of the people hosing this president can believe how stupid he is

"Security officials in Jerusalem called the increase in military aid "an unusual achievement."

What would be an unusual achievement would be for our government to do anything for us. They've bankrupted us, yet he's still going around the world whacking hornet's nests. Must be good for business. It sure isn't good for us.

[Doctor_J]

19. Is this supposed to be news?

Or is the fact that they're actually telling us about it the newsworthy part?

[rockedthevoteinMA]

22. How about health insurance for us Americans FIRST????

What's the count at now? 45 Million?? But sure, lets buy $20 billion worth of weaponry for foreign countries instead, and give $30.4 to another country, because our economy is so rosy. :banghead: :banghead:

[laststeamtrain]

23. Israel happy with US arms aid promise

Source: Gulf News

Israel happy with US arms aid promise

07/29/2007 03:49 PM | Agencies

Occupied Jerusalem: Prime Minister Ehud Olmert voiced satisfaction on Sunday over Washington's intention to offset a package of arms sales to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states with increased military aid for Israel.

He said he and US President George W. Bush, in talks at the White House last month, agreed Israel would receive $30 billion in US military aid over the next decade, averaging $3 billion a year.

"This is an increase of 25 per cent for the military aid to Israel from the United States. I think this is a significant and important improvement of the defence aid to Israel," Olmert told reporters.

He spoke a day after a senior US defence official said Washington was working on a military assistance deal for Israel expected to top $30 billion over the next 10 years.

Read more: http://archive.gulfnews.com/region/Middle_East/10142743.html

[pocoloco]

24. duh?

[C_U_L8R]

25. Great.. arm them all to the teeth

then stand back and watch
(while you count your profit)

[High Plains]

26. Why do my tax dollars go to support the Israeli military?

Let 'em oppress the Palestinians on their goddamned dime.

Thirty billion dollars would buy a few hot school lunches, fix a few bridges...there are about a million better uses for this money. Hell, we could even pay for the Iraq war for what, a month or so?

[ohio2007]

27. Guess when the mods move this thread you will get a reply

this topic doesn't belong in 'Breaking News" forum.

[High Plains]

30. Hmm, seems like it fits the breaking news regulatons...

...and it involves the US supplying military aid to Israel.

I know some people would prefer to deflect all critiques of Israel or US Israel policy to the IP ghetto. Is that you?

[laststeamtrain]

31. I think you're wrong.

But we'll see.

Maybe you can bait a sub-thread trap & make it come true. It happens. I hope not though.

[ohio2007]

35. sub-thread trap thread?

you must know the drill for getting threads moved.Seems certain kinds of Israel stories go to the Israel forum.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2924130

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=124&topic_id=175044&mesg_id=175044

[laststeamtrain]

38. There is no Israel Forum.

I/P threads go to I/P. As it should be.

This news story belongs in news. No P. Not a bit.

[razors edge]

36. Total aid is now

more than four times the cost of the entire Apollo project.

[TomInTib]

28. Just another reason why I don't pay taxes.

I would rather give money to homeless people than have my dollars propping up those bastards.

[Poll_Blind]

29. Israel to U.S.: Keep working hard Americans, we love YOUUUUU! n/t

PB

[Ian David]

32. We're arming BOTH sides. Republickers sure are anxious to be Raptured as soon as possible. n/t

[movonne]

34. I wish they all would rapture and leave us along...think of how much

better things would be without the likes of Delay and pat robertson...

[razors edge]

37. But only one side

is being armed on our tax dollars.

[Indenturedebtor]

40. Wrong

They're arming the Saudis as well. Hell we arm tons of countries. Rather than being so riled up about which country it is, especially seeing as how Israel IS our ally, how about we consider why we're doing this?

It bothers me to see us arming anyone:
1. It's just a way to funnel more tax dollars through our military-industrial complex.
2. Whenever we ramp up arms spending, it's usually for a purpose: ie to get ready for another war.

[razors edge]

42. Wrong?

Where are we supplying arms to middle eastern countries on the tax payer's dollar, besides Israel and the ones we have fucked up in a misguided effort to protect Israel?

I have absolutely no problem arming everyone, happiness is a warm gun baby, everybody buy their own.

Jacking my money to arm one side and saying it ain't like that, is like pissing down my back and telling me its raining.

Here's a quarter, buy a freekin clue.

[razors edge]

44. Why exactly do you think

that Israel is our ally but some how still imply the Saudis are not?

Do we have sanctions against them? Have we voiced strong concern at the UN over their public executions? Have we blocked trade with them? Have we refused to fly their elite out of our country when no American citizen was permitted to do so?

Where the f**k are you coming from?

[TomClash]

33. What could we do with $30b over the next 10 years?

In year one, half of one year's aid could be redirected to pay for repairing and strengthening the levees in NO.

The rest in year one could be directed to stem cell research, children's health care, aid to Darfur and/or a host of other needed or neglected programs.

[Seabiscuit]

39. Anything to keep the military-industrial complex fat and happy, eh, Shrub?

[Vidar]

41. AIPAC rules supreme.

[razors edge]

45. But with a limited rule.

Their not going to be able to convince the next generation of Americans that they are some how responsible for what happened six decades ago.

I'm surprised they convinced my generation so.

[Nihil]

69. Don't count on it.

> Their not going to be able to convince the next generation of Americans
> that they are some how responsible for what happened six decades ago.

They don't need to. All they need worry about is bribing the whores who
make the decisions - the guys & gals who buy their way into public office
(which, in the way that the US political system is set up, means everyone).

[daleo]

46. About a year ago, Israel was at war in Lebanon

That must have cost some serious money. It looks like the U.S. taxpayer may be picking up the tab for that, indirectly.

[subsuelo]

49. hard to call that a war

More like massacre of Lebanese citizenry

[ProudDad]

57. And the invinceble IDF

got their asses kicked...I DID enjoy that!!!

About time those militaristic pricks got some of their own back...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

47. who are these senior officials?

[muntrv]

50. Giving aid and comfort to the enemy. It's just more reason for Al-Qaeda to recruit.

[Pavulon]

53. You mean Egypt, or Saudi

both are customers. You know what the main battle tank used by Egypt is? And where it is made?

Very interesting answers. M1 abrams, and egypt at a factory we helped build.

[sellitman]

51. Where is the equal outrage that the Saudis are also getting funds?

Very telling.

Once again I am shaking my head and thinking the unthinkable.

[ProudDad]

59. Here it is

DON'T GIVE EITHER ONE OF THEM A FUCKING DIME!!!!

Fuck the Israelis and their Gestapo, the IDF

Fuck the Saudis; a bunch of fucking inbred despots..

[sellitman]

61. I respect that opinion

I don't agree with it but it is honest and more fair than most here on the left.

[ProudDad]

65. I don't want one dime going anywhere for war toys... (n/t)

[The Stranger]

70. Probably because the Saudis don't use U.S. weaponry illegally - bombing civilians in Lebanon,

covering the place with cluster bombs, dropping bombs on apartment buildings in occupied territories, etc.

Is that "very telling"?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

52. So basically, they're giving military aid to both sides

:wtf:

[lefador]

55. That has been the MO of the DoD for decades...

... tons of US surplus military equipment ended up being sold to places like Syria, Pakistan, et al.

Then the DoD uses the fact that the bad guys now have upgraded weaponry to ask for newer weapon systems.

And the cycle continues. Basically military manufacturers are the last of the heavy industries left in this country. Basically, we sell our shit overseas so that we can buy newer shit to protect us from the shit we sold overseas.

War is a racket...

[sanskritwarrior]

54. Excellent

more up to date weapons for our one friend in the middle east.........A bit of good news out of the middle east for once.

[ProudDad]

58. Which one

Israel or Saudi Arabia...

The theocracy or the theocracy?

The diktatorship of the military of the diktatorship of one fucked up family of sheiks?

Fuck 'em both...

[sanskritwarrior]

60. The military one

not real big on the shiekhs.......

[ProudDad]

66. Ah

you mean that fascist theocracy masquerading as a "democracy" that has killed many thousands of innocents during its illegal occupation of another's territory...

[MiserableFailure]

74. Criticize Israel all you want,

but to claim that they are a theocracy is not true. Saudi Arabia is a theocracy. Israel is still a democracy. Yes, they have a state religion, but the country is not run by religious leaders. It is run by politicians, some of whom are not Jewish. The government does not derive its power from the Jewish religion. The state and the temples are not equal partners in governing, not even close. The power of the religious organizations is given to them by the state, not the other way around, as is the case in so many Islamic countries.

[ProudDad]

56. This is so totally FUCKED UP

but it's just business as usual in the belly of the beast...

I'd cut the U.S. war budget by 90%, cut out ALL "military aid" to any other fucking country on Earth...And I'd use the TRILLIONS saved to build a better world for everyone on Earth...

This is just more cash shoveled at the U.S. military-industrial corporate-capitalist FUCKS...

If there were any social conscience in this loser of a country, there would be a million people at every "defense plant" tomorrow ready to burn the fucker down and scatter the fucking ashes!!!

But no, they'll all be planted in front of the tv tonight to watch reruns of CSI:Miami and Shark...and be at their workstations early tomorrow morning to make more money for the capitalist masters. Idiots and Sheeple...

[ClintonTyree]

62. War is the United States' only export now.........

well, besides jobs, that is. If the military industrial complex was shut down this country would go tits up in a month, maybe sooner. Since the Carlyle Group and other CONservative money makers are so heavily leveraged in the defense industry I think the chances of that happening are.......................slim and none. The U.S. exports death, it's our stock and trade. Yes, what a beacon of freedom and fairness we are. :puke:

I'm with you. I'll gather the marshmallow sticks for the bonfire of the defense industry plants. ;)

[Megahurtz]

75. Here Here!

:applause:

[Botany]

63. ATTN: Grown ups needed in D.C. ASAP

[bvar22]

64. Each Israeli is given FREE Quality HealthCare cradle to grave.

In Israel, citizens have a RIGHT to FREE HealthCare.
Why are my tax dollars paying for Universal Israeli HealthCare when I can't afford Health Insurance for myself?

Maybe Israel should be sending us money? :shrug:

[Megahurtz]

76. Good Point!!!

What the Fuck is up with that??? :mad:

[Endangered Specie]

67. Since when did they need bigger guns to shoot the same unarmed people...

wouldn't the old ones work just as well? :sarcasm:

[tabasco]

72. Israel has nukes.

Time to cut 'em off the tit.

[MiserableFailure]

73. Um, here's a BRILLIANT IDEA:

Stop giving money and support to both countries! Israel's human rights record is not exactly what you would call stellar, and Saudi Arabia's human rights record is basically nonexistent. How many of the hijackers on 9/11 were Saudi? 15? How much funding does Saudi Arabia still give to terrorist groups? millions? And now we're going to give them weapons?

The only reason we're doing this is because Saudi Arabia is scared of Iran. Well you know what, I say fuck Saudi Arabia. I don't care what Iran does to Saudi Arabia, I really don't.

We need to realize that these people have been fighting each other for years and years and there is no benefit to getting involved. All it does is put us at risk.

[ohio2007]

77. Libya and French sign 168 mln eur arms deal

Why does Libya need anti tank missiles? Will the export them to countries that fear invasions or will these weapons simply collect Libyan desert dust?

http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2007/08/02/afx3982395.html

the embargo has been lifted